All Over Again
by Mirai Angel of Destiny
Summary: After Mirai Trunks' departure, Bulma was hopeful of her family's prospects - until Vegeta's departure. But when he comes back 6 years after, how will she cope? Can she accept him into the family? Can Vegeta prove his love?
1. Unexplained Departure

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ blah blah… you know the drills 

***

Chapter 1 

"Bye, mother." 

Trunks smiled sheepishly, looking at the younger version of his mother. Although he had time to be accustomed to her face, it was still awkward calling this young woman his mother. She was much younger and brighter woman than his mother in the future timeframe. Bulma smiled back at her son and gave him a warm hug. He blushed. And as if that wasn't awkward enough, he saw the little version of himself staring at him from the ground. 

But in her arms, he felt the familiar warmth that embraced him for so many years. It was the warmth that only his mother could offer. His awkwardness disappeared and he found himself smiling more comfortably. And after finding his comfort in her, he found the courage to tell her what he wanted her to know.

He leaned into her ears and whispered, "Don't give up on father. He loves you. He's a different man now, I know it." Bulma smiled at her grown-up son's warm words. She let go of him and took one last look, glancing at him face-to-face.

'It's good to know that Trunks is going to grow up to be a good-looking guy,' she said to herself silently. Her smile got wider when she added, 'Of course. He's _my_ son.'

Trunks walked towards his time machine.  He turned back few times and smiling at his mother. But Bulma knew that she was not the only one in his view.

She could tell he was glancing over her shoulders, trying to catch one last glimpse at his father. Vegeta was standing with his usual grumpy face and his proud arms crossed. He didn't directly look at his son, still putting his pride first. But she could feel his eyes answering Trunks' glimpses. And she could feel Trunks' cheeks burning every time his eyes met his father's. Trunks looked satisfied at that, knowing his father was too proud to do anything more. 

'Bye father, bye mother.'

Trunks waved one last time before disappearing into his time. Bulma waved back, swallowing her tears. Then she turned to her baby boy, tugging on her leg. She smiled at the thought that he was to grow up to be the boy she just waved to. And hopefully, _this_ Trunks will get to know his father.

~~~

A year passed since Future Trunks left. Baby Trunks was now two and growing strongly. He was already proving that he is a Saiya-jin, bouncing around like a ball of energy. Bulma could see him playing in his playground through her laboratory window. Looking at him, she felt at peace. He always knew how to put a smile on her face without trying. 

To her relief, Vegeta was still with her. They even got married. Maybe he felt the responsibility for Trunks; maybe he really did love her. 

However apart from that, nothing much changed. He was still calling her 'woman' and demanded to be served. He was still breaking the gravity room and demanded it to be fixed.

But she did notice something different about him; the way he would treat Trunks.

Bulma heard from Yamcha how 'pissed off' Vegeta was when Future Trunks was killed by Cell. She was pleasantly surprised. She was glad that Yamcha told Future Trunks about it also. He would have been pleased. He didn't grow up with his father and this was the only opportunity for him to get to know Vegeta. She was happy for him. 

To add to her happiness, he started taking interest in Trunks, although not in front of her. She saw him watching Trunks in play, staring at him while Trunks kicked the air. She even caught him watching Trunks in his sleep. Vegeta would try to stay frozen-faced, as though he didn't care. But he would forget about his pride after a while, smirking proudly at his son. Of course, Bulma watched this all secretly, trying not to damage his pride. 

However he still had his burning desire to be the strongest of all, training day and night. Although the cruel and brutal ways had disappeared, his passion for beating Goku was still alive. 

But Bulma did not see it as a threat to her family anymore. She believed he was a changed man now. Goku's dead but he's still on Earth. That shows something.

Unfortunately she was wrong. 

When she was finally becoming hopeful of his commitment to the family, he left them. To make it worse, he didn't even say anything to her. One morning, she was woken up by the sound of roaring engine. She ran to where the spaceship should be but only to find nothing. After that, it is all blur to her memory. She remembers standing there, in disbelief, shedding unstoppable tears. She doesn't remember how long she stood there for or how she managed to keep a smile for Trunks like nothing was wrong.

***

Yeah, I know, the first chapter goes nowhere. But stick around and review 'cause then I'll upload the other chapters. Let me know if you want this story to carry on, let me know if you care! :)


	2. 6 Years Since

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, there. I admit it.

***

****

 Chapter 2

So what went wrong?

'Was it because of his ambition to be the best fighter, to beat Goku?'

'Did we distract him so much that he had to pretend we don't exist?'

'Was it too much to for him to show that he cared about us?'

'Didn't he love me at all?'

Bulma thoughts raced through her head. She let drops of tears escape her ocean eyes. She inhaled her cigarette deeply and closed her eyes. She puffed out all the smoke, as though she was releasing all her stress. She was sitting alone in her laboratory looking out the window. 

She watched her son running around his garden, who seemed to be training. He was punching and kicking the air. He did few impressive flips also, probably to show off to his mom. He knew that she could see him from her laboratory. Bulma couldn't help but to smile. 

It has been 6 years since Vegeta left them. Trunks grew up as a bright 8-year-old boy. She was now the president of Capsule Corp. after her father's retirement. She was vibrant and looking young as always have been. 

Bulma and Trunks got along very well, enjoying each other's company. They had so much fun together. They seemed to be so much alike, both confident and fun-loving.

But he was also so much like his father. He was too young to have any memories of him, but he had so much of his father in him. From his intense eyes to his egoistical smirk, Trunks was clearly Vegeta's son. 

Also, to Bulma's amazement, he could turn Super Saiya-jin; and he was only 8. And he did it with such ease, as though it was something natural in him. He didn't need the explosion of rage that drove Goku, Vegeta and Gohan into Super Saiya-jin. For Trunks, two pairs of hard-held fists seemed to be the only requirement for the transformation. 

Bulma would never forget the day she saw him in Super Saiya-jin form for the first time. He called her and her parents to the garden and showed them what he could do. It was unforgettable the way his whole body ignited with light; his lavender hair to golden flames; his blue eyes to emerald green. And to astonishment, he kept his cheeky smile through the whole quick transformation. He made her so proud, and she knew if Vegeta were there, he would have been proud too. 

Every time she missed Vegeta, she tried not to feel sorry for her and Trunks. Instead she told herself that even if Vegeta were here, it wouldn't make much difference. All he ever did was to train all day and try to pick an argument with her. He would just stand with his arms crossed and his face plastered with a smirk, like he was the only one who existed. 

But in some corner of her mind, she knew it _would_ make a difference. As much as she hated to admit, she hated the fact that Trunks was growing up without his father. 

So she defended Vegeta for her son. She planted positive things about Vegeta to Trunks – _only_ positives. She told him constantly, how his father is a prince of all Saiya-jins, how powerful he is, and how he is coming back someday, after his little 'business trip' (what she called it to make sure Trunks understand). She would never forget his excited reaction ('I belong to a Royal family? I'm not only the richest kid in the world, but my dad's also a prince? Does that make _me_ a prince as well, mum? Ha! Wait 'till I tell Goten! He has to call me 'your highness'!'). She always kept her smile and hoped and prayed that his son won't be disappointed. She hated to disappoint her son. 

_'Don't give up on father.'_

Bulma remembered Future Trunks' words. And she hoped that the hope he gave her was worth waiting for. 

'He never said he was going for good,' she thought, trying to plant some hope into her mind. She clearly remembered the day he left and he did not say that he wasn't coming back. 

'He didn't say anything at all,' she remembered as she had another inhale of her cigarette. She let out a smoke out of her mouth, releasing it instead of her tears. She felt weak, ashamed to cry for a man who left her 6 years ago.

"Ms. Briefs," a voice came from the speakerphone on her desk.

"Yes," Bulma answered as she threw away her cigarette. 

"You have a guest. It's your friend, Son Gohan."

"Send him up here," said Bulma, wiping off the tear marks on her cheeks.

~~~

"Hi Bulma!" spoke a shy but a cheery voice. 

"Hey Gohan! How's school?" Bulma asked.

"School is good…"

"Hey Gohan!" Trunks came flying into Gohan. Gohan rubbed Trunks head as he greeted him back.

"Hi, Trunks! You've grown!" Gohan commented, chuckling.

"So, how's my invention?" Bulma asked. She was referring to the Great Saiyaman suit she had built for him few days ago. Gohan didn't answer, trying to find the words to say. Bulma caught on and asked.   

"Why? What happened?"

Gohan began to explain that Mr. Satan's daughter, Videl was in his class, and how she's threatening to tell the whole world of his identity if he doesn't enter the World Martial Arts Championship. He told her that Videl found out about his identity because of his voice.

"So you want me to build the helmet so it alters your voice?" she asked.

"No, I can't wear anything that might give me an advantage over the opponents in the tournament. I can't wear anything that might lessen the damage of the attacks."

"Ah, so you just need something to cover your identity? That's easy!" Bulma then ran out of the room to grab her solution. She came back with a pair of sunglasses and a sheet of fabric. Gohan and Trunks both looked puzzled at first. She handed Gohan the sunglasses to wear and began to wrap his head with the fabric. 

"That's perfect!" Gohan exclaimed as he looked at the full mirror near by. 

"So, Trunks, what do you think? Don't I look stylish or what?" he asked as he turned to the little Saiya-jin. 

"I'm not going to say anything," Trunks replied in I'm-just-glad-it's-not-me voice. 

"So Gohan, what's fun in entering the competition when it's so certain that you are going to win?" asked Bulma. It was true. Despite the fact he didn't train since he defeated Cell, he was certain to win.

_"I want to enter too!" _said a mystical voice from above. But of course Gohan and Bulma could easily recognise the goofy voice. Trunks just stood puzzled and looked around.

"DAD!"

"GOKU!" 

"How are you Dad?" asked Gohan in excitement.

_"I'm… well… even though I'm dead…"_ Goku answered in unsure voice. 

"It's good to hear from you, Goku!" said Bulma with a wide smile.

_"You too, Bulma. I can't wait 'till I see everyone! I can come to Earth for a day of the tournament. It's been a while since I was there, you know?"_

"Mom will be so pleased! And Goten can finally see you!" said Gohan, who just can't seem to wipe off the smile. 

_"So I'll see you guys then!"_ Goku said in energetic voice. 

"Bye!" Bulma and Gohan said almost at the same time. Trunks was still looking around, trying to figure out where the voice came from. 

"Gohan, you better tell everyone about Goku. Maybe they'll want to enter too," said Bulma, in a cheery voice. 

Gohan nodded and flew straight out of the window. Bulma and Trunks waved good-bye and in a second, Gohan disappeared completely from their view.

"So who was that, mom?" Trunks asked, not holding back his curiosity.

"That was Goku, Gohan and Goten's father," she answered, smiling down at her son. 

"But, how can he speak to us, I mean, he's dead right? And how can he come back for a day if he's dead?" the purple-haired boy asked as he sparkled his blue eyes. 

"Uh…" Bulma struggled for words. Bulma did not quite know how it worked, as she's never been dead before. Goku explained to her about the whole thing a long time ago, but he wasn't the best person to explain to her. 

"Let's just say anything's possible, Trunks. Goku is a very… interesting person," Bulma answered, while looking unsure herself.

Trunks seemed satisfied at her answer; or just had something else in his mind. He seemed to be thinking, because she saw a familiar face on him – herself. He had that expression _she_ had, when she was thinking, trying to build an invention. She waited for her son to say something, to fill her in.

"If anything is possible, mom… do you think dad will come back for this competition? I mean, since Goten's dad's coming back and everything… and dad's really strong, so maybe he might come back…" 

Bulma nearly shed a tear. But she didn't; she couldn't. She could not cry in front of her son. So instead, she took one deep breath and kneeled down in front of her son, matching his height. She put on a brave smile on her face. She touched her son's cheek and stared into his eyes. He just stared back innocently. 'God, he's cute,' she thought. 

"Who knows? Anything's possible."   

***


	3. A Bitter Welcome

 Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ and never will :(

***

 Chapter 3

That night, Bulma found it uneasy to sleep. What Trunks said that afternoon remained so vividly in her mind. She kept thinking about what went wrong; maybe it was something she did or said. If only she could do it all over again. 

The city was in peaceful slumber, singing a silent lullaby. Surrounded by this serenity, Bulma fell asleep eventually. Bulma could really use some good sleep; she was so tired, more mentally than physically. 

But unfortunately for her, that night wasn't the night for her to rest.   

It was about 5 am in the morning when she woke up. It was unusual for Bulma who is a deep sleeper. She found it hard to wake up at 7am even with an alarm clock! Bulma slowly opened her heavy eyelids and looked out her window. Outside was still dark and sound asleep.  

Bulma buried her head in the pillow and closed her eyes. Then she felt a tremble underneath her pillow disrupting her rest. She placed her hand underneath her pillow to examine but only to feel the bed shaking as well. Still lying on her bed, Bulma could now feel the vibration shaking her entire room like a light earthquake.  

But Bulma didn't panic. She assumed it was just her unstable mind playing a cruel joke on her. She believed it was just a bad nightmare tugging onto her half-asleep brain.

She brushed her sleepy eyes and ran her hand through her hair. She tried to shrug off the rattle by lightly shaking her head. She wanted to come back to reality; but she couldn't.

Instead, the tremble was becoming more and more realistic for her liking. She could hear a roar of engine getting closer and closer to her. Then Bulma thought of a perfect conclusion: 'Is he back?' she asked to herself. 

Her eyes grew wide at her own thought. She stayed in her bed in disbelief, tugging onto her bed sheet. She just silently listened to the noises surrounding her house. Then she was snapped by the sudden disappearance of the tremble and the noise. 

'I can't let him get away,' she thought as she sharply sat up. She couldn't let him leave her and Trunks again. At least not before he explain to her why he left them and why he's here now.

She ran out of her room. She quickly glanced at Trunks' bedroom to make sure he's asleep. She then carried on running down the stairs as fast as she could. She felt her emotions running with the drumming beating of her heart. Her eyes started to soften. But she dried her tears clumsily with her hand. She did not want to give in so easily.

~~~

Bulma was now walking out in the garden where a familiar ship stood; a ship that she built 6 years ago. Except this one was worn out and rusty. The paint had been peeled off in various spots, revealing the metallic colour of ship's inner layer. Also her company logo on the side of the rounded ship has faded, making it unrecognisable. 

She was only a couple of metres away from the ship. She looked at the ship door and waited for it to open. She didn't have to wait very long; the ship's rectangular door slid open immediately after her arrival, as though it was waiting for her.

And as she expected, a figure with a flaming hair stood with his right-hand on his hip. Although it was just a shadow from her view, she immediately recognise the figure. How could she not?

The shadow started to move towards her way. As he came closer, the silhouette became more and more clear to her eyes. And before she could get her mind ready, she was face-to-face with her husband.  

The light from her space ship shone to reveal their faces to each other. Bulma examined her husband. As she expected, nothing had changed about him. His frame was still firm and muscular. His hair was black as always, standing tall against his widow's peak. 

"Hello, Vegeta. Long time no see," Bulma greeted in a bitter, shaky voice. Vegeta just smirked, just like the last time she saw him.

'So after all these years, he just smirks at me? Bastard!' Bulma thought as she narrowed her eyes in bitterness.

"Don't look so bitter, woman," he said, as he stepped closer to her.

"Don't call me 'woman'. I have a name, you know. Although I won't be surprised if you've forgotten after all those years."

"Oh I haven't forgotten. If I'd forgotten, I wouldn't be here right now," he said with a grin. 

Bulma could feel his body heat melting into hers. His arms slowly made their way around her. She let his fingertips touch her waist, before she realised what they were doing and turned them away. 

"So what brings you here?" She asked coldly as she took a little step away from Vegeta. 

"Still feisty. You haven't changed a bit. Except that you look a little older."

She knew he was just trying to make her angry; He enjoyed making her angry. She knew he was inviting her to play their old mind game – the game that brought Trunks into the world. She was tempted to participate, but she bit her lips to resist. She didn't want give him what he wanted until she got what _she_ wanted - explanation.

So she tried to stay unstirred by his comment. She just stared coldly at him with her lips shut tight. Her face was expressionless. She crossed her arms and stayed like a stone. 

However, clearly amused by this, Vegeta kept his trade-mark smirk. It was like he wanted to annoy her so she'd snap; and that's what he got. 

"WHAT ARE YOU SMIRKING ABOUT?!" yelled Bulma, losing her cool. Then she realised she fell to his trap again. But that realisation came to late, and by that time she found herself in his arms, tasting his lips. 

It had been so long since, but she could remember every single detail; and she realised nothing had changed since the last time. She felt her heart pounding while their lips were locked, like a schoolgirl tasting her first kiss. Without her mind knowing, her crossed-arms were opened up to wrap around his neck. She still felt the passion and excitement that brought them together nearly 10 years ago; and realised how much she missed them. 

'What are you doing? You can't surrender to this man!!' her head told her firmly.

So against all her temptation, she pulled away. She backed away from him. She lowered her head. Then she took a deep breath and looked at him again. She gaped at his dark, gloomy eyes. 

"You can't just leave without saying anything and come back 6 years after, expecting me to let you have it your way. You don't know how much things changed around here." 

After hearing her, his face changed into more serious one. The smirk was now gone and was replaced with tighter lips. 

He asked, "So tell me. What _has_ changed, then?" He stood there with his arms crossed, glaring at her for an explanation. 

'Did he think that I was suggesting I have someone else now?' she thought, a little scared of his sudden mood change. But she did not back away. 

At that moment, in the back of her mind, she almost felt annoyed that she _wasn't_ seeing anyone else. She could have moved on, and showed this bastard that she doesn't need _him_ to satisfy her; that any other man would consider themselves lucky to have her. But unfortunately, this was another confirmation that _he_ was the one she needed.

"Well… for starters… your son is 8 year-old now. I hope you haven't forgotten that you have a son," she reminded him in a snappy tone. 

"Yes, I know I have a son called Trunks. Unfortunately for him, he has a terrible name, thanks to his mother."

"He happens to like his name. And fortunately for him, he's got his mother's good looks, not his father's scary face. And not to mention much better personality than his father," Bulma said as she stood cockishly, mirroring Vegeta's arms-crossed gesture. 

Then she added, "Oh yeah, and also, he didn't need his father to train him. He can turn Super Saiya-jin!" After she finished, she started to regret her words immediately when she saw Vegeta's face.

Vegeta's eyes widened and his lips parted in astonishment. Bulma could tell he was sorry that he missed it, because he started looking downwards. She knew how much he would have loved to train Trunks. Bulma, feeling a bit sorry that she brought it up, stayed silent. She eagerly anticipated what he was going to say, hoping for something out of his character. 

'Maybe he will finally admit his wrongdoings and admit his undying love…' 

But she immediately realised that was never going to happen. And Vegeta proved it. 

"Hmm, of course! He is _my_ son!" he said as he lifted his head, plastered with an egoistical smirk.   

'I should have guessed,' Bulma thought as she rolled her eyes. Of course he wasn't going to admit his undying love for her and Trunks! He was just going to feel even better about himself! She started feel a little annoyed at herself for boosting his ego even more. 

"Well, then I can't waste any more time with you, woman. I have to train my son." 

He started to walk off towards the house, before Bulma stood in his way.

"He is _my_ son too and it's five o' clock in the morning! I won't let you wake him up and train him," Bulma demanded. She had her hands on her hips and glared at the Saiya-jin. Vegeta knew better than to argue. 

"In that case, I demand you cook me some food. It tastes shit but I'm too hungry to care."

"My cooking's not shit! If you don't like my cooking, you can wait for three more hours, because that's when my cook starts working!" She yelled at his arrogant comment and started to walk towards the house. 

She went inside and went straight towards her room. Then she realised he was following her. Still refusing to surrender, she turned sharply, hoping to catch him off guard. But who was she kidding? He's a Saiya-jin! She can't catch him off-guard! He's always on guard. He grinned mockingly at her, as though he was waiting for it to happen. 

"Why are you following me?" Bulma asked angrily.

"I'm going to my room." 

"Well, this is _my_ room so go and find a guest room or something!" she told him in an irritated voice. But it only seemed to encourage him.    

"My stuff is still in there… isn't that right?" he said confidently, suggesting that he could see right through her. 

So he knew all along. He knew that Bulma would never move on from him.

That was it. Bulma could not hold back anymore. She tried to be strong. She tried to show him that she was not to be messed around with. She wanted him to see that she was okay without him. She was going to make Vegeta actually make an effort to make up for the lost times. And maybe even bring him out from his cold covers and make him more of a human. But she couldn't do it anymore. No matter how hard she tried, she could not hold back the tears now. 

She felt her eyes heating up fast. Everything started to become a blur. Bulma blinked to escape her blurry vision and let loose of the tears her eyes had been holding back. She lowered her head and made a blunt effort to wipe away her tears with her hands. But she could not hide the obviousness of her weakness. 

Watching Bulma break down, Vegeta panicked. Of course, he tried to look calm and unaffected by her. But he found himself stepping closer and closer to her, until he could reach her shoulders. 

She looked up to him with her red watery eyes. Despite her state, he could still see the azure eyes that seduced him in so many occasions. He felt his body softening up against her. He felt the pain she was feeling slowly spreading to his body. 

"Why did you leave?" Bulma whispered softly. She didn't have energy to yell at him anymore.

Vegeta paused speechless. He was trying to find the right words, but didn't know how. He didn't know if she could understand why he did leave, when he himself had been so unsure. And Bulma's tears didn't help either. 

"I… I had to."

'Wrong answer!' his instantly told himself. And this was confirmed by Bulma. She narrowed her eyes and glowered at her husband. 

"You… had to? Why, Vegeta? Tell me, why did you _have_ to go?" Bulma raised her voice at the Saiya-jin. He did not answer her. He just lowered his head, trying to think of something to say. She waited while taming her own emotions. But there was no word from Vegeta. He just stayed in his place without a movement. Bulma couldn't wait anymore. 

"If you can't tell me, fine. Just help yourself to whatever. Welcome home. I'm going back to sleep." Bulma shrugged off Vegeta's hands and stormed into her room. Slamming sound of her door echoed as Vegeta stood outside her room. He was about to follow her in so he reached out for the doorknob; then he changed his mind. 

'I'll probably make her angrier.'

***

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who reviewed :) Tell me what you thought of this chapter! It's a pretty big chapter, don't ya reckon? I could have done it many other ways I guess, but I tried to make it very much 'in-character'. I didn't what to go OCC or too cheesy. So this is basically how I saw Bulma and Vegeta as characters and how they might have interacted. But this is only my interpretation. Wait for more, 'cause I'll update soon, really, I will!!! 


	4. An Early Morning Spar

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Obviously. If I owned DBZ, why would I write fanfics? I would make a brand spanking new series and say that GT never happened *evil Vegeta grin* 

***

 Chapter 4

Trunks woke up unusually early that morning, at 7.00am. He usually woke up around 9.00am.   

He climbed out of his bed, neglecting his blanket on the floor. Still in his pyjamas, Trunks walked out of his room while yawning loudly. His blue eyes peaked lazily out from their heavy lids as his feet dragged along the carpet.

'I doubt mom's awake. But if I wake her up, she might be cranky,' he thought as he glimpsed at his mom's room. He knew his mother didn't like early mornings. After all, he was like that too. 

He made his way downstairs towards the kitchen. He was hungry. He knew the family cook doesn't work at this hour but figured that he could fix some cereals by himself.

'Hopefully I won't make mess like the last time,' he reminded himself with a cheeky grin. He would never forget the look on his mom's face. 

While amusing himself with the flashbacks of that day, his thoughts were interrupted by the shuffling noises from the kitchen. Trunks' sleepy eyes woke up. 

'Mom's awake on 7.00am? It can't be!' 

"Mom, is that you?" he asked as he stepped closer to the kitchen. 

No one answered.

'Maybe cook's here early? I doubt it. This could only mean…' Trunks widened his eyes at his own conclusion – someone was robbing the groceries in Capsule Corp. 

He tip-toed to the pantry where the sound came from. He carefully glimpsed to find a vague shadow of a man with vertical hair going through the cereals. He was on his back towards Trunks. Trunks smiled at the perfect opportunity to strike. 

He bounced up effortlessly behind the thief and aimed a kick. He was going straight for the thief's back.  

'Too bad mom won't see my heroic move! Oh wait, maybe there is a security camera near…' 

But only a split second after the thought had occurred to him, he was glad his mom wasn't there. He hoped and prayed that there was no security camera to capture what had just happened. 

The thief was extraordinary. He actually had turned around to see Trunks before his glory moment and ruined it. He not only blocked his kick, he also pushed it away far enough for Trunks to fly to the other side of the kitchen, banging into a dishwasher. 

Trunks rubbed his head and scrunched his eyes in discomfort. He wasn't really physically hurt though. He was just mad some stranger ruined his morning.

'At least no one saw that,' he thought. Then he looked up to the ceiling and growled. 

'Mom keeps a security camera THERE??? Oh great…' 

Then he realised the thief was still there looking at him; a man with a jet-black hair wearing spandex. The thief was standing with his right arm on his waist, smirking down at the little Saiya-jin.

Realising this, Trunks jumped up immediately as though nothing had happened. Trunks frowned and gritted his teeth. He didn't like being made fun of.

'I'll show that guy… besides, I was just playing around anyway.' 

Trunks raised his fists in a battling mode. He ran lightening speed towards the intruder and aimed another kick. It missed and Trunks nearly broke half dozen dishes. He turned sharply in the air and shot few impressive punches at the man. They were all missed. His attacks were getting faster and faster due to his impatience. And the fact that the thief had his smirk throughout didn't help either; that really irritated Trunks.

So frustrated by the fact he was going nowhere, Trunks snapped. 

Trunks ceased his attacks and came on to the ground. He looked that the man with a frown. Then his frown turned into a smirk – just like the one on the thief's face.

"You ain't seen nothing yet!" Trunks announced cockishly.

Trunks tightly held his fists on both side of his waist, still smirking confidently. The light started to beam around his tiny body. The kitchen floor was filled with vibration, as though something was waiting to burst. His eyes started to turn green and his hair sculptured into golden spikes. Several dishes in the kitchen shattered as the light burst out of Trunk's body for a magnificent glow. Proud of his simple transformation, he smiled boastfully at the intruder. He didn't even bother to take notice of broken dishes around him. 

The thief clearly looked amused at what he just saw. He lifted his eyebrows a little, but he didn't look as shocked as Trunks had hoped. The thief kept his crooked smile and stared at the Super Saiya-jin.

"Smile while you can! You'll be sorry real soon!!" Trunks yelled as he reflected the thief's smile. He started his light-speed run towards the grinning intruder. 

"TRUNKS!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!" 

It was his mother.

Trunks, due to the suddenness of the interruption, slipped and fall on his back. Before he knew it, he was lying 180 degrees on the floor feeling a ringing ache. He rubbed his head still feeling dizzy. 

"MOM!!" he said in a nagging voice. Bulma went over and looked down at his son. 

"What are you doing, Trunks?" she asked while staring down at her Super Saiya-jin son. "And why are there broken dishes? And why are you a Super Saiya-jin at seven in the morning?" Bulma carried on questioning her son.

"There is a thief who's trying to steal our food!" he told his mom in whiny voice and pointed towards the pantry. He was still frowning from the fall. 

Bulma looked up to see who was standing there and found her husband in his trade-mark smirk. She couldn't help but to let out a little chuckle. 

'No wonder Trunks thought he was a thief with that evil smirk of his,' Bulma thought, letting out more laughter. It was quiet but enough for Trunks to hear. 

"Mom! It's not funny! It really hurts!!" he said in a teary voice. Bulma bit her lips to stop her snigger. Trunks then lazily got up, still rubbing his head. And he noticed the 'thief' was still there. He glared at him while his mother took a deep breath. 

"Trunks, that's not a thief," Bulma said while placing her hand on her son's shoulder. The mother and son stood side-by-side and were both looking at the man in front of them. 

"That's your father, Trunks."

***

Pretty short chapter here. I know. The next chapter is coming soon! 


	5. So Predictable

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or anything to do with DBZ. 

 Chapter 5

***

"You know, you could have stopped Trunks before he went all dramatic on you. You _are_ his father, after all," Bulma hissed at Vegeta on the breakfast table. Trunks had gone to his room to get changed for his first training with his father. Bulma didn't want to her son to see her argue with his awaited father. So she had waited until she left the kitchen. 

"I can't believe my own son didn't know what I looked like."

"Well, it's not like you were particularly keen on taking photos!" Bulma gritted her teeth, trying not to yell.

"It doesn't matter," Vegeta said while he flashed his trade-mark grin. "I wanted to see him go Super Saiya-jin. To see if what you said was really true." 

Bulma rolled her eyes at her husband's predictable reason.

"Then why couldn't you just say 'Hi, Trunks. I'm your father. Can you go Super Saiya-jin?'" Bulma asked sarcastically.

"Don't go so soft on him, woman. He's a Saiya-jin, not a weak earthling. And not just _any_ Saiya-jin, he's _my_ son!" 

"I'm surprised how openly you claim him to be your son after leaving him 6 years ago," Bulma said rather quietly for Vegeta's liking. He would have fought back but the seriousness of her voice made him reluctant. And to make the matters worse, she stood up immediately and left the table. He knew she was serious.

'Do I have to follow her? Nah, I'll make it worse.'

~~~

"Are you serious, Bulma? Vegeta's back?" asked Gohan. He was visiting her after his last day of school before taking time off for training. He had already told her that his mom let him take time off school for training, which surprised Bulma. But not as much as Gohan was when she told him about Vegeta. 

"Yeah, can you believe it?" she said as she pulled out a cigarette from her pocket. 

'Chi Chi will hate me if she finds out I'm smoking in front of Gohan… who is she trying to protect? Half of his class probably smoke,' Bulma thought as she lighted her cigarette. 

"Wow, that's great, though! For Trunks…"  
  


"Yeah, he's thrilled. You should have seen Trunks when Vegeta told him he'd train him. He didn't even finish his breakfast before racing to his room to get changed."

"That's great! I can't wait for Dad to get back. You know, for Goten and all. He's never seen him before. I think he'll feel a little jealous when he hears Trunks' father's back," Gohan said smiling.

"Well, Trunks' always jealous of Goten for having a brother like you!" said Bulma. Gohan just chuckled while blushing. Bulma noticed this and carried on. "I'm glad Vegeta's back, for Trunks' sake, you know? He really needs a father at this age."

Gohan nodded in agreement. He sipped an orange juice Bulma had given him earlier. Then he looked at Bulma, who was turned side away from him, puffing out smoke. She didn't want Gohan to be bothered about it. Then she turned back to him, with her cigarette-hand away from Gohan. She grinned her usual smile and sparkled her cobalt eyes.  

"And what about you, Bulma?" Gohan asked, sounding a little nervous to start off with. Her eyes widened a little, waiting for him to elaborate. 

"I mean… it was a bit of surprise and everything… and you haven't seen him for a long time…" Gohan was clearly struggling with his words. Bulma appreciated his concern. She kept her smile, although her emotion was rising from thinking about Vegeta. 

"GOHAN!" Trunks exclaimed from the distance. He was walking towards Gohan and Bulma, with a towel around his neck. They both looked up with bright faces as though the awkwardness before did not occur. They both seemed to be thankful to be rescued out of the subject. 

"Hey, Trunks! I heard about your training with your father!"

"How was it Trunks?" Bulma asked with a motherly smile. She could see he worked pretty hard from his sweat-soaked face. His purple strands were wet and he was still breathing heavily. But he kept his boyish smile on his face, so it must have been great.

"It was SO cool, Mom! You should have seen me!" Trunks flashed his bright eyes at Bulma in excitement. She smiled back at her son as she put her hand on his shoulder. Then she felt how soaked and sticky he was with sweat. She frowned, while keeping her smile and chuckled at her boy.

"Trunks, you better have a shower!" 

"But Mom, Gohan's here! I want to play with Gohan!"

"I'll wait for you, Trunks," said Gohan smiling. 

"Wait, okay? I'll be really quick!" said Trunks. Then he disappeared like a flash of lightening.

Then Gohan felt someone coming towards him. He turned to the direction and as he expected, Vegeta walked in.

"Hi," greeted Gohan, a little nervously. 

"Hmph." 

Bulma rolled her eyes at his pathetic reply. She was about to say something but she didn't. She didn't want to fight in front of Gohan.

"You haven't been training, have you, Gohan? Just because it's peaceful doesn't mean you should put off training." 

"Okay," Gohan replied awkwardly. Then he opened he asked Vegeta, "Are you going to enter the World Martial Championship?"

"Hmph, like I'm going to enter some dumb human competition," said Vegeta, glaring at Gohan. Bulma couldn't help but to roll her eyes. She had predicted this answer all along. He was so predictable to her that she knew exactly what to say to change his mind.

"Goku's coming for the tournament," Bulma commented without looking at Vegeta.

Vegeta then turned his glare to her. Then he turned back to Gohan and asked. "Is that true?" 

"I just said he is." Bulma said this time turning to face Vegeta. She was frustrated that he didn't believe her.

"Yeah, my father is coming back for a day."

Vegeta smirked. Bulma then knew exactly what was coming next. Then she wondered if there was anything in this world that _doesn't_ boost his ego. 

"Hmm, Kakarot has no chance of winning because I'll defeat him!"

"Dad's entering? I want to enter too!!" Trunks exclaimed while running towards them. 

"That's great, Trunks. Goten said he wanted to enter as well," said Gohan, getting excited. Trunks then pulled Gohan's arm.

"Little brats are entering too? Hmmph… doesn't matter to me. I'll win anyway." 

"Gohan! Let's go and play…" 

Gohan smiled at the little Saiya-jin in agreement.

"I'll see you guys later then," said Gohan as he waved to them (well, to Bulma) and walked off with Trunks.  

After Gohan left, Bulma stayed seated on her couch, almost finished with her cigarette. She took it towards her mouth to have a last puff. But when her hand got to her lips, she could only feel the warmth of her fingertips. No cigarette. She turned back to her husband and glared at him. 

Vegeta held her cigarette and rubbed his palm against his fingers, turning it to dust. 

"It's a disgusting habit, woman."

Bulma felt touched by his concern, but that wasn't enough to stop the irritation arising. It was her choice, and he had no right to interfere like he was always around.

"It's my choice. I don't interfere with your training or any other one of your weird habits. So don't interfere with mine."

"Fine then." 

Vegeta walked off towards wherever his destination was. Bulma lowered her head and stayed seated. She was starting to get worried now. 

'What if we never work this out?'

~~~

I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE SOONER (especially to those who kept emailing me to get my act together)!!! And I'm sorry that this chapter isn't really packed with drama or anything. But I'm trying to figure this story out so it flows bit better. By the way, thank you to everyone who read it and reviewed! I really appreciate it!! :) 


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